A Leap of Faith
by luberly
Summary: This story happens immediately after 'All the Single Ladies' and is the second installment of the RangeWoman series. Lula and Stephanie have to decide about their RangeMan job offers. What will they decide?
1. Chapter 1

These characters all belong to JE. FF disclaimers all around.

Here we go again. This is the first chapter in the continuation of All the Single Ladies, the first installment of the RangeWoman Series.

Truth be told, I wrote this story and several others in this series a while ago. The chapters should go up pretty fast until I run out of existing content. Hopefully a second read-through will eliminate many of my errors.

Let me know if you want me to continue.

* * *

_Lula's POV_

As usual, I woke up and didn't feel all that well rested. My mattress was killing my back and I had no money to replace it. I hoped White Girl would let me tag along with her for a few takedowns this week because I could really use the money. I went through my morning routine and headed out the door looking fabulous as always.

I pulled up in front of the office and saw both Connie's and Steph's cars parked out front. This meant that there was a pretty good chance that there were donuts inside. I hurried into the office for fear that there would be fewer donuts for me if I took my time. I was rewarded with two large and mostly full boxes from Dunkin Donuts.

I looked at the girls and asked, "What's the occasion of all these donuts?"

Connie said nothing and looked down at the nails she was filing while Stephanie cleared her throat. She looked at me and grabbed a box of donuts and directed me towards the sofa. Once I was on my third donut Steph said, "Lula, I talked to Ranger yesterday. He wants me to work full time at RangeMan and I'm seriously considering it."

Oh no, that would leave me here all alone to catch the skips. How would I cope without her? She must have sensed my disappointment because she said, "I'll still be catching skips and I'd still like to work with you. There's more. Ranger wants you to come and work for RangeMan as well. He says that if we are both trained a little better, we can start going for some of the medium and higher level bonds."

Wow, working every day with that group of hotties wasn't something I ever seriously thought would be possible. A steady pay cheque would be nice. I could afford a new bed and I could probably afford to keep going to my night classes. This sounded too good to be true so I asked, "Is this a trick White Girl?"

Stephanie shook her head and said, "The reason I turned down a full-time job with RangeMan in the past was because I didn't want to get stuck behind a desk all day and I wasn't too keen on the fitness and firearm training. I always felt so inferior to the guys in every aspect that it always put me off. When Ranger suggested that you could work for him as well, I realised that I'd be more willing to go through all that pain in the gym if I could share it with someone."

I thought about that for a moment and realised that I would have felt the same way. In fact, having a regimented schedule and a more formal way of training was actually a nice idea. I thought about my current schedule and the fact that I could no longer afford to go to my night classes. I also knew that RangeMan schedules were not always 9-5. How would they cope with me taking night classes? I decided to ask Steph.

"Would it be a problem if I was unavailable to work some evenings? I would like to start up my night classes again."

"No, I doubt that would be a problem at all. In fact, RangeMan has a program to pay for further education for employees. Ranger knows about your business classes. He mentioned to me that once you are finished that it would be beneficial to RangeMan to have your skills. He's not only interested in you for Bounty Hunting. He thinks you have good instincts and trusts your judgement on a lot of things."

I looked at Stephanie for a moment. I wasn't sure if I believed what she said, but Steph doesn't tend to lie to me, so I was inclined to believe her. My biggest concern about working for RangeMan was the lack of fashion. I voiced my concerns to Steph and she said, "When we visit customers, we are encouraged not to wear the boring RangeMan black uniform. Ranger and the guys wear suits, so we'd be required to do the same."

That didn't sound too bad, but it did mean that I'd have to give up wearing my spandex outfits. But if I'm being totally honest with myself, the spandex is a throwback to my days as a Ho. I kind of use it as a way to make me feel like I haven't changed as a person on the inside. I've only changed how I make my money. In reality, more than that has changed.

Steph has taught me a lot about how to deal with different sorts of people. She's shown me when to be compassionate and when to be confrontational. I know I still have a problem with certain people, and especially if anyone calls me fat. I tend to go into 'rhino' mode as Steph calls it and it lands me in a lot of hot water.

I'm relatively happy with the way I look, but I don't like it when people point out that I'm overweight. I've struggled with my size my entire life, so maybe I should get on board with this whole RangeMan fitness thing. Maybe the strictness of RangeMan is just the motivation I need to follow through on my exercise and dietary issues.

As all these thoughts went through my head, both Connie and Steph sat there watching me, waiting patiently for an answer. I looked up from my hands and asked, "Do you think Batman would be offended if we took this job on a trial run to see how things went? That way, if things don't work out, nobody has to feel bad."

Steph pursed her lips and then said, "I think Ranger would be fine with that. I am sure we could ask him. What are your main concerns?"

"The fitness requirements are my biggest concern. What if I can't hack it? What if I hurt someone or worse, get someone shot?"

"I can assure you that you're not the only one with those concerns. What if we agree to extra work outside RangeMan if we think we're falling behind? There are plenty of area gyms who offer self-defense and martial arts classes. I don't know exactly what our schedule will be like, but I'm pretty sure that we'll have several nights off during the week."

I nodded and said, "I like the sound of that White Girl. I think I'd prefer to do that anyway, so I don't look like such an idiot for our RangeMan training. We can even meet early-ish in the morning to get in a run once we're a bit better prepared. I just need some motivation to keep it up."

That was true. In the past, I've tried to workout with Steph, but she gives up after such a short time and that leave me to motivate myself. It's not easy you know, I'm a big black woman and I am far from fit. I could do with losing around 100 pounds, but I've never had the stamina to stick with the diet and exercise.

I looked at Steph and said, "You need to promise me something if I agree to this."

"Of course Lula, what is it?"

"You have to stick with me. I'm going to have to give up a lot to do this. I will have to wear that boring RangeMan uniform. I won't be able to have my fabulous hair. I will have to go on a diet and worst of all, I will have to exercise on a daily basis. I will need some help getting through this. I won't be able to do it on my own."

"I feel the same way. I will need your help as much as you need mine. Why don't we go over to RangeMan and you can discuss any concerns or questions with the man himself?"

I smiled at that because I had a lot of questions for Batman and not all of them were job related. I must have grinned a little too much because Connie laughed and said, "I think Steph meant questions about the job Lula."

I laughed out loud and said, "Every question I intend to ask is related to the job in one way or the other. Besides, if I ask Ranger something he doesn't want to answer, he'll just keep his mouth shut."

Both Connie and Steph nodded because they know as well as I do that Ranger is good at deflecting questions he does not want to answer.

Steph looks at me and asks, "When did you want to go over to RangeMan?"

I looked at Connie and she waved at me and said, "You ladies go ahead. I'm almost jealous you know. You'll be surrounded by all those men all the time. The only thing keeping me from joining you is the uniform and the hours."

I was glad that Connie wasn't upset about both Steph and I leaving Vinnie's. It's not like we'd never see her again, and I think she understood. That was good because she and Steph are really the only friends I have outside of my old life. I wouldn't want to do anything to jeopardise those friendships.

* * *

More to come...


	2. Chapter 2

Lula's internal dialogue has always been soemthing that I have wondered about. I hope to explore that more later.

* * *

_Ranger's POV_

Babe just called to say that she and Lula were coming in. It sounds like Lula has a few questions for me, so I'll have to do my best to assuage her reservations. I know that if Lula turns the job down, Babe is likely to turn it down as well. I just had to pull out all the stops and figure out a way to convince Lula that this was a good idea for her.

In fact, the more that I thought about it, the more I was convinced that Lula had more to offer RangeMan than just bringing in low-bond skips. I just needed to convince her of this and maybe she'll take the opportunity to make a few changes in her life that will encourage Babe to do the same.

I spoke to Tank earlier. When I first brought up the topic of Lula working here, he seemed a little reluctant. Now, he sees it as a way of keeping her away from her old life and keeping her safe. It may also stoke the fires of their dwindled relationship. It kind of fizzled out after the confusion over their engagement a few years ago and I think both were too proud to admit the mistake.

I am expecting Lula's biggest concern to be about wardrobe. RangeMan has a specific requirement for its employees to look consistent and subdued. I can't have Lula show up to talk to a customer in florescent yellow spandex, and I hope she is not offended when I explain why.

I'm also expecting the fitness requirements to be a bit of an issue. I'm not so worried about the gun training with Lula. She doesn't seem to be afraid of her gun. She just doesn't know how to use it. I'm sure that regular practice and lessons will improve her skills.

I didn't have long to wait before there was a knock at the door and my Babe stuck her head in my office. "Hey Ranger, Lula wants to talk to you first. When she's done, I'll have a few questions of my own."

Before I had a chance to say anything, Lula was being pushed in my office and Babe was closing the door. Lula looked at me and it was clear that she was a bit apprehensive about being in a closed room with me. I smiled kindly and said, "Please take a seat Lula. I would like to hear your thoughts on the job Steph talked to you about."

Lula sat down and before she said anything, I thought I should explain why I wanted to do this before she started to ask her questions. "I want to assure you Lula, that this is a genuine job offer. I think you have a lot of potential and the night classes that you have been attending will also make you a positive addition to RangeMan. We have a lot of intimidating looking large men that don't always put our customers at ease. That leaves Leister and I to take a brunt of those meetings and we have become so popular that it's getting difficult to keep up with demand. I think you and Steph could help out there in addition to your skip tracing."

Lula looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. After a few moments, she found her voice and said, "Why would you want to trust me to represent your company Ranger? It's very important to you and I'm not exactly the ideal picture of a corporate professional. You know my history. Why would you want me to tarnish your image?"

Ranger had a very stern look on his face when he said, "I think that you underestimate yourself Lula, a lot. I don't care how you made your money in the past. What I care about is how you have taken steps to improve your circumstances and stuck to them. I know it can't be easy to spend your days in Vinnie's office and I am proud of you for what you've done.

"You've even started taking night classes to improve yourself further. That is why I would be proud to be your employer. You have heart, determination, and you are far smarter than you give yourself credit for."

Lula smiled at me and said, "I am also assuming that this job is a way of guaranteeing that Stephanie will take one as well."

Ranger laughed and said, "See, smarter than I gave you credit for. I genuinely want you to work for RangeMan Lula, but I won't lie to you. I am hoping that you and Stephanie will help each other and keep each other on track. Now, did you have any questions about the job itself?"

Lula nodded and took out a piece of paper from god knows where. She looked up at me and said, "Stephanie mentioned that RangeMan would let me have time off to attend lessons if I continue to attend my night classes. Is that true?"

I nodded and said, "Not only will RangeMan let you have time off for the lectures, RangeMan will also work around your study schedule exam preparation times. In addition, RangeMan contributes to the cost of your education. Since you are working on a business degree that will directly benefit RangeMan, we would probably pay for the entire cost of your course, including books."

Lula's mouth was open and her jaw was somewhere south of its regular location. She must have been happy with my answer because she made a visible attempt to close her mouth and looked back down at her paper. She swallowed and then said, "I am willing to accept that I will have to wear the RangeMan uniform, but for those days where we're stuck in the office, would you consider letting us wear a t-shirt in another colour? I know I look good in black, but a single-toned wardrobe can be a bit boring."

I was expecting a lot more than this from Lula about the uniform. I was expecting her to fight kicking and screaming, so the request for different coloured t-shirts kind of took me by surprise. I didn't really have a problem with it, but I'd need to discuss it with the core team before making a final decision.

"I don't see why we couldn't do that, but I would need to talk to the rest of the core team. If you did leave the office for any business related activities, you'd have to change. Once I talk to the guys, I can have Ella acquire the necessary t-shirts and then put the RangeMan logo on them like she does for the black ones. If I'm honest Lula, I thought you would try to avoid the uniform at all costs."

"The idea of wearing a uniform gives me the heebie jeebies, but as I said, I look good in black, and my current wardrobe is costly to maintain. Stephanie made me see reason by explaining that wearing a uniform would cut my wardrobe costs for work so I could splurge on social events."

I nodded and said, "When you start visiting customers, you'll also be expected to wear business attire. This will be a few months down the line though, as you and Stephanie will both need to go through some training about our products and the services we offer. You will be given a clothing budget to purchase these outfits and access to the RangeMan tailor if you can't find something you like in the stores.

"Most of the guys at RangeMan have to use our tailor because suits are not made for men like us off the rack. They also are able to adjust the suits for our shoulder harnesses so it is not obvious that we are wearing our weapons. You and Steph may have the same problem with suits off the rack, but you have a few months before you need to worry about that."

Lula nodded and continued to read the questions from her list. In the end, I was able to answer everything to her satisfaction, or so it appeared. Lula was usually really easy to read, but for some reason, she was a little more difficult to read today. I just assumed she was taking this job seriously, so I thought nothing of it.

When Lula finally stood and shook my hand, she asked one last questions. "Ranger, what would happen if I decided to take a bit of a break from work to attend classes full-time? I don't mean right now, but next year I'll be in a position where I could take a term full-time and finish my degree. I was wondering if RangeMan would let me have a sort of sabbatical."

I had no idea that Lula was this close to finishing her degree. From what Steph told me, I thought she'd only had a few courses. I vocalised my thoughts to Lula. "I didn't realise you were that far through your course. I thought you had only taken one or two night classes."

Lula stood up taller and said, "For the past year, I've had 4 classes each semester. That's effectively going full-time, but it was really hard. I cut down after that and only take 2 each semester. If I take 2 for the next year that will leave me will only 6 more. That's too many to take in evening classes, so I thought I'd ask about a sabbatical."

"I'm impressed Lula. We will definitely let you have the time off. You can work as much or as little as you want while you are taking classes, but even when you are not working, you will still be expected to fulfil the other RangeMan requirements like fitness and gun training."

Lula grinned and said, "I think I can manage that. Thanks Ranger, at this point in time, I can't find any reason to turn down your job offer. I know Steph has a few questions for you, so I'll let her ask them and then we can work out any more details if necessary."

"That sounds good to me Lula, while I' talk to Steph, I'll ask one of the guys to give you the full RangeMan tour. You can see all of the restricted areas and possibly have a go in the gun range depending on whether anyone else is currently using it."

* * *

So now what? More?


	3. Chapter 3

Now some more from Lula. Enjoy.

* * *

_Lula's POV_

I couldn't believe that Ranger or should I say RangeMan was willing to pay for my schooling. I also couldn't believe that Ranger wanted to hire me for my own potential skills rather than just a way to get Steph to work there. He's been trying to get her here for years and she's always stayed away. I wonder what's changed with her, or perhaps them.

After Ranger made a quick phone call, I stood and chatted with Ranger for a few minutes until there was a knock on the door. Steph popped her head in and said "I hear you guys are done."

Both Ranger and I nodded and he shook my hand one last time as Steph pulled me out into the hall. "So, what happened?"

I looked at the excited look on Steph's face and said, "Ranger and RangeMan just made me an offer that would be silly to refuse. I'm going to go on an official tour and when I get back, he's going to go over some paperwork with us."

Steph smiled even wider and said, "I can't wait to start working with you Lula, it will be so much fun." She looked over my shoulder and continued, "Here's your tour guide. I'll see you in a little while."

Steph opened the door and walked into Ranger's office and then I turned around to see a smiling Tank standing in front of me. I hadn't seen the man in a while and I was as always, overwhelmed by his whiter than white smile.

"So, you're my tour guide eh? Lead on."

Tank took my arm and guided me towards the stairs. I looked down at my 4-inch stiletto heeled boots and stopped. "Just a second." I reached down and unzipped my boots and said, "I think it'll be easier on both of us if I went barefoot for the rest of the tour."

Tank nodded and offered to carry my boots. I shook my head and said "Why don't I just leave them under Steph's desk?" Tank agreed and followed me over to her cubicle. As luck would have it, there was a pair of slippers under her desk, and since we had similar sized feet, I tried on the slippers and they fit well enough, so Tank and I resumed our tour.

When we got to the stairs, we ended up going down one flight. Tank looked at me and said, "This is the 4th floor. There is a common room with a bunch of games and a TV as well as several apartments. Currently, both Leister and Bobby are living here. Ella and Luis live on the 6th floor and Ranger is up on the 7th floor."

I looked at Tank and said, "You don't live here anymore? I know you had your own apartment outside RangeMan, but you did stay here when we were dating."

"I didn't see the point in having two places to live and we had some guys from Miami come up who needed a place to stay. That gave me the excuse to give up the apartment here. I'm actually going to give up my apartment in town in a few months. I bought an old run-down house just outside of town but it still needs a lot of work. I spend all my free time there and I figure it will be ready for me to move into in a few months. The guys have all pitched in and helped out too. It's actually been a lot of fun."

I smiled up at Tank, remembering how he talked about doing exactly that. His dream was to buy an old fixer-upper as he called it and restore it to its former glory. I asked, "Is it a period house with lots of interesting features that you are painstakingly restoring back to their former glory?"

"There sure are. There's a small round window at the back of the hose that is made out of stained glass. When the sun hits the window during the day the entire house is filled with colour. It was the top item on a long list of things that made me want that house."

It sounded like a great house and I was really happy for Tank. He may not look it, but at heart, he's a home kind of guy. He'd rather curl up on a sofa and watch a film than go out clubbing with the guys. He loves his cats and he loves working with his hands. I can imagine him working on his house, enjoying every second.

"I'm really happy for you Tank. It sounds like you've found your dream house and making it yours. I'm sure your cats will love the space to roam around once you've moved."

Tank smiled down at me and nodded. He then said, "Next stop on the official RangeMan tour is none other than the famed gym. This is where Ranger takes the men to the mats for infractions and mistakes. Lately however, it's mostly been Leister down here. He doesn't seem to know when to keep his mouth shut around Ranger and he keeps on making comments about Steph."

I took that comment as an excuse to get some information. "Speaking of Steph and Ranger, I noticed that Ranger was smiling a lot and laughing when I spoke to him earlier. What do you think that's about? Do you think they've finally recognised their feelings for each other?"

Tank shook his head and said, "I'm not sure. All I know is that he was acting really goofy when Steph was away on that cruise. He was wondering around RangeMan in a bit of a daze and he was constantly doodling. One day, I looked at some of his doodles and realised that they were full blown detailed and accurate drawings of Bomber.

"Ella and I collected the drawings and left them somewhere Steph was sure to see them. That was last night and today, here you are."

I thought for a moment and then said, "Come to think of it, Steph has been acting a little weird today. If they have decided to give it a go, I'm happy for them. They seem so right together."

Tank nodded and opened the door to the gym for me and gave me the quick tour of the equipment and the locker rooms. Unfortunately, they were unoccupied at the time. Next, he took me to Bobby's office and they both showed me around the infirmary.

"Hey Lula," Bobby said, "I hear that you might be joining us here at RangeMan."

I nodded and said, "Ranger has made me a very generous offer that I'd be silly to turn down. It's a great opportunity for someone with my history, so I think I'll take it, even if it involves a bit of hard work here in the gym."

"That's a great attitude Lula." Bobby said. He then went on to explain that he'd be the one responsible for making up a fitness plan for both Steph and I. He said that we'd start out slow and then move on to some more difficult things, but we'd go at a pace that I was comfortable with. I thanked Bobby for his time and followed Tank down to the gun range.

He opened the door and looked around before saying, "We're in luck. Nobody is down here, so I can give you your first lesson if you'd like."

"I think I would like that Tank, thanks."

"Do you have your gun?"

I shook my head. Stephanie convinced me that it wasn't a good idea to take my hand cannon into RangeMan so I left it at the office in Connie's capable hands.

"That's fine because RangeMan employees are required to carry a different model than what you're used to. We'll use that today and you can see how you feel about it."

Tank walked over to a locked cabinet and punched in a bunch of codes and used his fingerprint to open the door. Once open, he pulled out a couple of guns and a box of ammo. He led me over to a table and said, "The first step in learning to handle a gun is to know how to disassemble and reassemble it so it still functions. Before we get to the shooting part of this lesson, I'll show you how to take this puppy apart."

Tank and I spent the next 30 minutes taking the gun apart and reassembling it. He showed me how to load and change the clip and he even showed me a quick tip on how to handle a guy pointing the gun at me by pressing the clip release on the gun. We actually had a really good time and I was beginning to regret the way I treated Tank when we dated.

When it came time to point and shoot the gun, I got a little nervous. Tank knew me well enough to know my expressions so he reassured me by saying, "Don't fret Lula, you've done really well today. Nobody expects you to be an expert marksman right away. Even I missed the target a few times when I was first learning."

I was calmed by Tank's reassurance and let him position my feet and help with my stance. He gave me tips on my posture and breathing, so when it came time to pull the trigger, I was a lot calmer than I would have been otherwise.

Tank insisted that I empty the entire clip, so I took my time between shots and did my best to aim at the middle of the target. My eyesight isn't perfect, but based on what I could see from this distance, I hadn't done as badly as I expected. Tank brought the target forward and pulled it from the clips. He was grinning when he handed the target to me.

My jaw dropped again. Out of the 18 shots, I hit the target with all but two, and they were near misses. "You did a great job Lula." Tank said. I beamed as I looked at the target. "With a bit more training and practice, I reckon you'll be hitting the bull's-eye with every shot not too long from now."

* * *

Let me know what you think. More to come.


	4. Chapter 4

What's next?

* * *

_Ranger's POV_

After Lula left and Babe walked into my office, I pulled her onto my lap and kissed her. I hadn't seen her in 12 hours and I put all that love and desire into the kiss. It actually surprised me when Babe pulled away first and managed to squeak out, "Whoa there Batman, I have a few questions for you before we get sidetracked again."

Babe wiggled and I let her get up and go sit in the chair across my desk from me. Similarly to Lula, she pulled out a list of questions, but I could see that her list was significantly shorter than Lula's. She cleared her throat, looked at me and said, "RangeMan uniforms are all in black. Would you ever consider introducing other colours for when we're office bound?"

I smiled because I realised that Lula and Babe talked about this beforehand. I said, "As I said to Lula, I'll think about it. RangeMan black is still required when you're out of the office on RangeMan time, unless you're in your business attire."

She looked down at her list and said, "Fair enough. Next question, will you start treating me differently if our dates do or don't go well?"

"Babe. I want you to work at RangeMan because you'll make a good addition to the company, not because I'm in love with you. I promise you that I'll never do anything to intentionally hurt you, but I won't treat you with kid gloves either. RangeMan has rules and I expect you to follow them just like the other employees. You will not get special treatment, with the exception of office nookie if you so desire. I don't do that with anyone else."

I laughed at that answer and moved on to my last and final question. "What did Lula say?"

"Well, I think we should find out where her and Tank got to and then invite them to join us when they're done. That way we can talk about the job offers, put them in writing, and then figure out if or when you ladies will be joining us."

"I like the sound of that."

I picked up my phone and called the control room to get a location on Tank and Lula. I was told that they are currently in the gun range and Tank is showing Lula how to disassemble and reassemble a gun. I figured they'd be at least another 30 minutes so I stood and locked my office door. As soon as Babe saw that, her eyes widened in shock and I laughed.

"Tank and Lula are down in the gun range. They'll likely be another 30 minutes and I can think of a really great way to kill some of those minutes."

Babe turned red as I walked slowly towards her. I reached out my hand and pulled her to her feet and then wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her tightly to my chest. I held her in my arms and whispered, "I've missed you today Babe."

She leaned her head back and looked up at me and said, "I've missed you too Batman."

We stood together for a long time, swaying as if there was music playing. We were finally interrupted by a knock on the door. I leaned over letting go of my Babe and opened the door to find a beaming Lula and a grinning Tank at the door.

"Come in you two, it looks like you have some fun down in the gun range."

"I sure did. Tank taught me loads. I can take a Glock 17 apart and put it back together and I can even empty a clip and mostly hit the target. I'm sure to get better with practice, or at least that's what Tank says."

I looked over at Tank and he nodded. "She's right, she done good."

"I'm glad to hear it. Why don't we move into the conference room? There's a bit more space and you two ladies can look over the paperwork that goes along with joining RangeMan. If you do decide to go forward, I'll call in both Bobby and Leister so the six of us can go over your schedule for the first couple of weeks."

The ladies agreed and we moved to the conference room. Once we were all seated, I slid a folder across the table. One for Lula and another for Steph, but they were pretty similar in wording, all but the names. They each looked through the folder and when they got to the third page they looked at each other with open mouths.

Lula looked at me and said, "Is this some sort of a joke? Why on earth would you pay us this much money for chasing low level skips?"

I laughed at this and said, "I'm not hiring you to chase low-level skips. That will only be part of your job. Besides, that is the typical starting salary for every RangeMan employee who works for my company. We pay for the skills we want and teach you the ones you'll need."

Lula looked a little guilty and said, "Still, I don't have the same skills that any of your men have, I would feel more comfortable with a lower starting salary."

I knew this might come up so I said, "You may not have the physical skills or the firearms skills that my men have, but you have plenty of other skills that they lack. You and Stephanie have a very important skill that is severely lacking at RangeMan. You are a people person and you both have access to contacts that we could never dream of having. People see RangeMan as a bunch of thugs and if you two ladies work with us, I'm hoping our reputation will soften and change for the better."

Lula sighed and said, "Alright Ranger, if you want to pay me this amount of money, I won't complain. After all, it will increase my shoe budget significantly."

Babe smiled at this comment and said, "Yes, I agree. We'll definitely need to go shopping soon."

Lula kept reading her contract and stopped on the last page. She looked up at me and then at Steph, who hadn't gotten that far. She patiently waited for Steph to catch up and when she finally finished the last page, she too looked up and stared at me.

She said, "What is this about moving into RangeMan? I don't think you ever mentioned that before now."

I struggled to maintain my blank face and said, "It is standard RangeMan procedure for new hires to live on the premises. Ella prepares your meals so it is easier to stick with your diet. She will take good care of the two of you. We've never had two women living here before and as luck would have it, the large two bedroom apartment is free at the moment. We'd like to offer that to the two of you for the first 6 months you are at RangeMan.

"If you wish to keep your current apartments, you can. The RangeMan apartment is a perk of your job, so you won't have to pay rent for two apartments. After the 6 month period, you'll be free to go back to your old apartments, stay on at RangeMan, move to one of the other RangeMan apartments around town, or move somewhere else altogether."

Lula looked excited while Babe looked annoyed. Lula said, "Can we see the apartment?"

I nodded and stood, motioning for the ladies to follow me. I stopped by my office to get the keys and then headed to the stairs and walked down one flight. I knew that Babe had never been in this apartment. It hasn't been occupied in a while because of a water leak. Luis finished the building work a few weeks before I left on my last mission and I left instructions with Ella to decorate it as she saw fit.

I unlocked the door and stood aside letting both Lula and Babe enter. I left them alone for a few minutes while Tank and I stood out in the hall. "So what do you think Tank, do you think they'll take the jobs?"

Tank nodded and said, "I think they will and if I'm honest, I think they'll both be great. I couldn't believe how quickly Lula was able to learn how to disassemble and reassemble a Glock. It was pretty impressive."

Babe opened the apartment door and ushered us in. She said, "Why have I never seen this apartment before? I would definitely have remembered this place."

"There was a water leak in here a couple of years ago. We never had a huge requirement for this apartment so Luis worked on it in his spare time. He finished a few months ago and Ella finished the decorating about 2 weeks ago. When I saw it, I thought it would be perfect for you two ladies."

Lula nodded and said, "It's really nice. Either bedroom is larger than my whole apartment. I'd give it up in a heartbeat to live here. In fact, I think I'll call Jackie tonight and offer her the sublet because the place she's living in is pretty dangerous. "

I thought that was typical of Lula. She passed on her good fortune to another who was in need. Jackie could probably use a safe place to sleep when she wasn't working her corner. Now I looked at Babe and wondered what she would do. I could tell that she really liked the apartment. It was a mirror opposite of my apartment, but instead of an office, there was a second bedroom with its own bathroom. Its dimensions were slightly smaller, but the layout was pretty much the same. It was decorated similar and I hoped she'd agree to live here.

* * *

More to come.


	5. Chapter 5

More Lula musings. Let me know what you think.

* * *

_Lula's POV_

This place is amazing. It reminds me of Ranger's apartment the one time I was in it, only everything is backwards. Both bedrooms have their own bathroom and they are pretty much the same size, each with their own walk-in closet. I think I'd really like living here. All I have to do now is convince Steph that we should do this.

I watch as Steph looks around and she finally says, "I could sublet my apartment to Grandma Mazur for the 6 months. There are lots of people her age in my building and I could help her out with the rent."

I grinned because it sounds like Steph is on board with this whole apartment thing. The kitchen was pretty nice and I could see myself baking or cooking. I don't have a lot of experience, but I'm sure I'll have plenty of time between work and school to practice. I know Ranger said that Ella would take care of us, but I was beginning to think that they were being too generous. I am an adult, I should be able to cook and take care of myself. I'd worry about that later though.

When we had searched every nook and cranny in the apartment, Ranger led us back down to the conference room. He sat and stared at the two of us, waiting for us to say something. I could tell that out of the two of us, I figured Steph was the least likely to speak up, so I said, "I think I'd like to formally accept your offer of employment Ranger. I think working for RangeMan is a wonderful opportunity for me. It gives me a career instead of just a job. I really appreciate the chance you are giving me."

Ranger simply nodded and then turned his attention on Steph. I looked at her beside me and watched as the thoughts in her mind were shown across her face. She was afraid, nervous, excited and a little curious. Finally, after about 5 minutes of silence, she said, "I'm in too."

Ranger smiled wider than I'd seen in a long time. He pulled out his phone and had a very short conversation with someone on the other end and then hung up. He looked at us with a serious look and said, "This is the hard part. I've just asked Bobby and Leister to join us. We're going to make a schedule for you two ladies for the next three weeks.

"The schedule will include a bunch of different things like fitness training, self-defence training and firearms training. It will also include working with various other team members so you can learn the various types of systems we install and where best to install them. You will also have to learn our client base so you can answer their questions over time.

"I won't lie to you ladies, the next few weeks will be tough, but at the end of it, you'll be better equipped to deal with your skips and we can move you both towards the business end of RangeMan operations."

Bobby and Leister walked in while Ranger was talking and sat down at the table. Bobby handed us both a sheet of paper and explained it to us. It looked like we'd be meeting at the RangeMan gym every morning at 6 AM to spend one and a half hours in the gym. Bobby said, "I have a more detailed plan for that time, but I'll go over it with you on your first day."

From 7:30AM - 9AM, we had free time. At 9AM, I meet Tank in the gun range and Steph meets with Hal and Hector to learn about the systems. At 10, we switched. From 11-4, we could collect skips or perform searches if no skips were available. From 5-6, we had self-defence training that rotated styles depending on the day. The person helping us changed as well.

One thing I did notice was that Ranger was not involved in the training at all. This was probably for two reasons. He's the boss and if he got involved, it could look like he was giving us special treatment. I remember Tank saying before that Ranger never got involved in the actual training. He did spar with the new guys, but he never actually trained them.

I had to respect his attitude towards White Girl. It was obvious for anyone to see that he loves her and that he wants her to work with her, but he still expects the same from her as he does from all of his employees. If I were in his position, I think I'd struggle with the balancing act he was going to have to perform from now on with Steph.

I was brought of out my thoughts when Tank asked, "When would you ladies like to officially start as RangeMan employees?"

I looked at Steph and suggested Monday. She agreed and we spend the next half hour filling out and signing the various forms needed to work at RangeMan. I was just re-reading my final form when Steph asked, "When can we move into the apartment?"

"Anytime Babe. We can arrange for a truck to help you move anything over the weekend if you'd like."

Steph looked at me and asked, "When do you want to move in Lula?"

I shrugged and said, "The weekend works for me. I have to go through my belongings and get rid of some things from my former life. I've been putting it off for a while because I was afraid I might need them again."

Steph looked at me with that look she gets when she wants to hug you because she feels bad. She said, "If you want, we can tackle that together. You can help me with my junk and I can do the same with yours."

I nodded and said, "Sure thing Steph, but not tomorrow night. I have plans." Steph raised her eyebrows at me in question so I said, "Tomorrow night is registration for my night classes. I want to get there early to make sure I can get the classes I want this term."

Steph smiled and said, "How about tonight? We can have one last celebratory pizza at your place and on Friday, we can have subs at mine?"

I saw Ranger raise his eyebrow at Steph's suggestions. I wasn't sure which part caused the eyebrow. It could have been the pizza, the subs, or the Friday night reference. Everybody knows that Friday night is date night, so maybe she ruined some of his plans without realising it. Oh well, he'd have loads of time with Steph in the near future and we needed to move, so I figured he's have to get over it.

Our last stop before we were free to leave was a visit with Ella. She already knew Steph's sizes for her uniform, but she'd never had to deal with me. She is a very lovely woman, who wasted no time at all taking my measurements and promising to have new RangeMan uniforms and gym gear ready for me by Sunday when we move in.

It was now Wednesday, so she wasn't giving herself much time, but Steph assured me that Ella was the best, so I chose just to leave it to Ella and not spend any time worrying about things I had no control over.

Before we left Ella, she spent a few minutes asking me about my eating habits. She said, "The goal of a RangeMan diet is not to deprive people, but to help them realise that eating healthy can still leave you satisfied. Sugar is allowed if eaten in moderation. In fact, Ranger says that two donuts a day are allowed, but any more than that will add 10 minutes of time on your running requirements for each additional donut.

"You'll probably find that over time, you'll not even miss them. If you are struggling, talk to me and I'll figure out a way to adjust your diet so things aren't as difficult. Changing your eating habits is hard and you'll slip up from time to time. Everybody does. You'll have off days where you crave bad things, but you'll also have free days where you can eat pizza and pretty much anything you want, but in moderation.

"I'm always around to help if you have any questions or need something."

I looked at this tiny woman and said, "Thanks Lula. Now I understand why Steph is always singing your praises. I know my diet is going to be the hardest thing for me to change. I've always approached food as a comfort thing rather than fuel. Once we're established in the apartment and in RangeMan, would you consider teaching me some easy things to cook that are tasty and healthy?"

Ella smiled and said, "Of course Dear. I'd love that. I know you girls won't be here forever, so that is a really great way to help you once you've moved into your own places. We can turn it into an evening and even prepare a meal for the other guys who live in the building one evening."

The three of us chatted for a little while about loads of things, including Ranger's drawings. Steph pulled one out of her purse to show me. I was astonished. Batman really could draw. The picture was of Steph sleeping with her niece resting on her chest. What shocked me more than the skill and detail in the drawing was the phrase on the bottom.

I wanted to ask Steph all about the drawing, but I figured we'd have a better chance of getting into her relationship with Ranger this evening. We walked through the apartment one last time and I finally agreed to take the larger of the two bedrooms. Steph said it was because the smaller one had an alcove where Rex could sleep, but part of me wondered if Steph would be sleeping elsewhere some nights and didn't want the larger room to go to waste.

* * *

Life at RangeMan is about to get interesting, don't you think?


	6. Chapter 6

Enjoy.

* * *

_Ranger's POV_

After the girls went up to talk to Ella I went back to my office. I was so happy that Steph would finally be working for RangeMan. I was also pleased that Lula was going to join us because I really think she'll be a great asset to the company.

I looked up when somebody knocked on my open door. I smiled when I saw that it was my Babe.

"Babe, are you ladies heading out?"

"Yep, I just wanted to say bye and to check about tomorrow night."

"I'll pick you up at 6:30 tomorrow evening. Dress is smart, but not too fancy. I'm not going to wear a suit if that helps you pick something suitable. Wear comfortable shoes. There might be a bit of walking at the end of the evening."

Babe smiled and nodded and was about to leave when I said, "I'm really looking forward to tomorrow night. I was initially planning on a second and third date before the weekend was over, but now I think that won't be possible with the packing and moving. I can come over Saturday and help you with your packing if you want."

Babe looked at me and said, "I'd like that Ranger, but let's talk about it more tomorrow night. I will have a much better idea of what needs to be done after Friday, but we can talk tomorrow."

I walked over and kissed Babe very softly on her lips. She smiled and I grinned before she walked out. When she was at the door, I said, "Babe, you don't know how happy you've made me today. The fact that I get to see your smiling face every day is like a dream come true."

Babe blushed and said, "Just wait until you see me at the gym early in the morning when I'm all dopey and grumpy. You might change your mind and want nothing to do with me."

"Not a chance Babe. I remember our first morning together and thinking about the night before was the only thing that kept me going sometimes. I would think about that night and I'd make it through a horrible situation so we could have our someday."

"What if it's not as good as last time?" Babe asked with fear on her face.

"Last time, we weren't in love. This time, we'll be making love, not just having sex. It will mean more and it will be better because of it. You just wait Babe. I promise that we'll both be happy afterward."

This comment got a faint smile from my Babe so I closer to her and wrapped her up in my arms. "Please don't worry about things like that just yet Babe. We still have three dates to get through before you need to worry. Tomorrow will be the first of what I'm hoping will prove to be many."

My Babe hugged me back and kissed me gently on the lips before saying, "Lula and I should get going. I have a feeling that tonight is going to be difficult for her and I want to make sure she has the support she needs."

I nodded, kissed the top of her head and said, "I'm proud of you Babe. Let me know if you or Lula need anything."

Babe nodded and waved as she walked out of my office. I could hear her saying goodbye to my men and sighed as I heard the floor quiet down after she left.

Tank stopped in my doorway and said, "I heard that sigh Ranger. I take it that you are happy that we'll be joined by a curly haired brunette."

I laughed at Tank and said, "Of course I'm glad that Babe is joining us. I'm also glad that Lula is as well. I watched her carefully today and I have come to realise that she has a quick mind in addition to a flamboyant verbal and fashion style."

Tank agreed and said, "Yes, I still don't understand how you and Bomber were able to convince her to wear the RangeMan uniform."

That reminded me about the t-shirt colour thing, so I figured I might as well get that over with now. I looked at Tank and said, "Do you know where Bobby and Lester are?"

"They somehow both pulled monitor duty this afternoon. It's rare when that happens."

"Well, I think Lester is there as punishment again. Bobby was probably scheduled and Lester is serving out a sentence I laid down. Can you run out and see if they can be relieved for 15 minutes? Both Lula and Steph brought up something today that I want to talk to you guys about."

Tank agreed and returned a few minutes later with Lester and Bobby.

"Thanks for coming guys. I just remembered that both Lula and Stephanie brought up something today when we were discussing their jobs. They both wondered if it would be possible to introduce some colour to the RangeMan uniform for those people who were restricted to the office.

"If there were no skips for Lula and Stephanie to pick up, they would be stuck in the office, so they wondered if it would be possible to wear a different coloured RangeMan t-shirt with their black cargos. I said I'd talk to you guys about it and see what you think."

Lester as usual was the first with a smart ass comment. "I'm game if we all get to wear different coloured t-shirts."

I nodded and said, "It wouldn't be fair if only the ladies got to be colourful, but these would only be for people inside. If they go anywhere on RangeMan business, they'd have to change into the regular uniform."

Bobby asked, "What about leaving the office but not on RangeMan business. Could we wear these t-shirts out to lunch or to and from work?"

I thought for a moment and said, "I don't see why not. The different colours might be more visible and provide some sort of advertising for us. If you guys agree, I'll ask Ella to see what she can come up with. I know she already embroiders Steph's shirts with a pink RangeMan logo instead of the white or black one the rest of us wear. Perhaps she can come up with some coordinating embroidery colours to suit the new t-shirts."

Tank grimaced and said, "I'm not wearing pink in any way Ranger. This scheme has to be voluntary and the colours have to be approved and organised by Ella or we'll end up with Lester wearing all sorts of atrocities."

Lester grinned as if he agreed with Tank so I said, "I will send out a memo to all Trenton RangeMan staff to enquire whether they'd be open to on-site uniform changes. If any of them are interested, Ella will provide them with 2 coloured t-shirts that they can wear at their leisure. Steph and Lula will be spending a lot of time inside the building for their first few months, so they may have more colour choices. If people like the idea, the colour range can increase over time. We can then expand this practice to other offices once we trial it here."

All three of the guys agreed, so I dismissed Bobby and Lester back to monitor duty and continued my conversation with Tank.

"There is one thing I'm wondering about Lula that you might be able to help with Tank."

He raised his eyebrow to indicate that he wanted to know my question so I continued. "Lula is willing to wear the RangeMan uniform and business attire when the need presents itself, but I didn't have the guts to tackle the discussion about her hair. She always seems to match her hair with her outfits, so I'm wondering how she'll cope once she starts at RangeMan."

Tank thought for a moment and then said, "Let's tackle that problem when we absolutely have to. Lula puts a lot, and I seriously mean a lot of time and effort into her hair. I doubt she'll have the time to spend on it while at work, so who knows. She sort of took comfort from the red or yellow hair, if you know what I mean, but her wardrobe will be a lot more subdued from now on."

I nodded and said, "I'm sure she'll realise very soon that amount of time she spends in the gym and gun range will make it difficult to maintain her current hair style."

Tank smiled and nodded as he left my office, leaving me with a stack of paperwork that I needed to get through before I could call and end to my day.

* * *

How will Lula wear her hair? More to come, but I could use a bit more encouragement. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for all the encouragement. Keep it up.

* * *

_Lula's POV_

Steph and I left RangeMan and drove back to the Bond's Office. Connie was just closing up for the day so we invited her to join us for the evening. One more person would make the task of cleaning out my closet go quicker and Connie would be able to offer some much needed gossip relief.

Connie agreed to join us so we each hopped in our own cars and drove via Pino's and headed to my place. Our first order of business was food. Once the pizza was finished and the box was disposed of, we opened the door to my closet.

We made three piles. The clothes on the bed were ones I was going to keep. The pile by the door was for donations and the last pile contained things that Jackie might want. If she decided she didn't want them, they'd be added to the donations pile.

I couldn't believe how small the pile of clothes on my bed was in comparison to the other two piles. I found the entire experience cathartic and hilarious. We would hold up outfits and laugh ourselves silly at the memory of me wearing them. I almost cringed when I saw some of them. I must have looked like an idiot.

The things in my keep pile included my sweats, lingerie, pyjamas and a few conservative outfits. It was very clear to me and the other girls that I was severely lacking in normal every day clothes. It was a good thing that RangeMan provided the uniforms because if it wasn't for that, I'd end up going naked most of the time.

I ended up getting rid of every single piece of spandex I owned. Both Connie and Steph were as shocked as I was when I they held up something and I told them to put it on either pile other than my bed. Once we finished the clothes, we had 6 large garbage bags full of clothes to be donated. The pile for Jackie was pretty large and would probably fit into a further three bags. I decided to wait to bag them until Jackie had a chance to see them.

The clothes on my bed were carefully folded and put into a suitcase. Steph looked around and said, "Will you want to go shopping tomorrow? It looks like you have left out a velour purple sweat suit as your only outfit?"

"I think I might Steph. We can meet at the office nice and early and then if there are no skips, we can head to the mall."

Steph agreed and both her and Connie left. It was around 10PM, so I got ready for bed and then tried to ring Jackie. She was working tonight, but promised to stop by at 7 the next morning. I crawled in to bed at a much earlier time than usual and fell asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, I awoke at 6. Normally I would have rolled over and gone back to sleep, but this was going to be my life pretty soon, so I might as well get used to it. I got up, had a quick shower and dressed in my purple velour suit. I looked pretty good in purple, but I was a bit shy to walk around with a naked head.

Last night, when we went through my shoes, we also went through my wigs. I got rid of all but 4, and they were all pretty tame ones. The purple wig I'd normally wear with this outfit was currently sitting in a pile of stuff waiting for Jackie to peruse. I decided to bite the bullet and go without a wig. It has been a long time since I've done this, so I stood in front of the mirror for a long time with some gel and massaged my hair into cute little short curls. I never really spent much time on my natural hair because I always preferred to cover it up. Now that I'm going to be in and out of the shower a few times a day with my workouts, I'm not sure wigs are all that practical.

Someone once told me that I had hair just like that singer from the Fugees, Lauren Hill. I wondered if I could grow mine a little to make it look more like that. Currently I kept it really short, but it wouldn't take too long for it to grow in a little.

I put on a pot of coffee for Jackie and me and then popped some oven-ready crescent rolls into the oven. This type of food probably isn't allowed on my new diet, so there's no point letting it go to waste. Jackie knocked on my door a little after 7. She looked tired when I stood back to let her in. She looked at me and said, "Damn girl, I haven't seen that hair in a donkey's age. What's up?"

I took a deep breath and said, "I'm starting a new job next week. This new job requires me to live on site so I was wondering if you'd like to have my apartment. I also went through my clothes last night and there is a pile of them on the table that you're welcome to. If you don't want any of them, we'll donate them to charity or something."

Jackie stood there staring at me and said, "What kind of job is it, and why are you being so generous to me?"

I looked at Jackie and felt a little bad for her. I said, "I'm helping you because you're my friend. A friend helped me get out of that life and now that you're no longer taking drugs, this might be the step you need to get out. My job at the Bond's office is up for grabs, so maybe you could apply for that as well. It doesn't pay as well, but it's steady and isn't affected by the weather."

Jackie looked at me for the longest time. I know she's a proud woman and attempts in the past to help her have always gone unwelcome. She stood there staring at me before walking towards me and giving me a hug. She has never done this before. In fact, she always shunned away from hugs and any sort of physical contact.

"Lula, you are such a good friend, I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me over the years. I would love to take over your apartment. My building keeps getting worse and worse. There are several drug dealers and pimps around there and it's really hard to get clean. Do you really think I can stick out a real job?"

I nodded and said, "Jackie, you can do anything you set your mind to. Connie is a nice lady and she took me under her wing. I'm sure she will do the same for you. Why don't you come with me to the Bond's office later this morning and I can introduce the two of you."

"Do I have time to run home and change?"

"Sure. Let's have some breakfast and some coffee and then I'll run you home and wait for you while you change. I'll drop you off anywhere you want to go after that. You can even move in here straight away. We can share the place for a few days, but I'll be out for good on Sunday."

Jackie started to cry and said, "I can wait until Sunday. I'll have to pack up my old apartment, but I doubt I'll bring too much from my old life with me if Connie can offer me a job. I won't need all those skimpy outfits anymore."

Jackie and I drank some coffee and ate the rolls with butter and jam. When we were finished, Jackie waited for me to brush my teeth and then we were off. I saw right away that Jackie wasn't kidding when she said that her building had gone downhill. Mine wasn't great either, but it was one hell of a lot better than hers.

Jackie came out of her bedroom a few minutes later dressed rather conservatively. She was wearing a black pencil skirt that went all the way to her knees, a white blouse and a black blazer that had funky cut out shapes around the bottom hem. She looked like a professional office worker. The only thing that gave her away was her scruffy footwear.

She looked at me and said, "Is this outfit OK?"

I smiled and nodded. "It sure is. You look like one of them professional office workers. You look great Jackie."

She smiled at me and we set off to the Bond's office. We arrived just as Connie was unlocking the front door. She greeted me and let us into the building. As soon as I was inside the door she said, "You know what Lula, I don't know how I'm going to cope with all the filing once you start with RangeMan. Look at the backlog just from one day."

Connie pointed to the stacks of files on the top of the filing cabinets behind her desk and took notice of Jackie for the first time. She stood up and held out her hand to Jackie and said, "I'm Connie. I'm the office manager."

Jackie smiled at Connie and said, "I'm Jackie, Lula's friend. She mentioned that you might be looking for a file clerk."

Connie's eyes cut to me and I nodded. Connie then looked at Jackie and her eyes opened wide. "Your're Jackie, that Jackie. Oh my god, I didn't even recognise you. You look wonderful. Rehab must have been a success."

Jackie smiled and said, "Yes, thanks to Lula and Miss Plum, I've been clean for over 6 months."

Connie smiled and said, "That's great. Do you have any experience working in an office?"

I watched as the smile fell from Jackie's face. She shook her head to indicate that she had none, but Connie ignored her and said, "Not to worry. Lula had none either when she started here. Now she's going to work for RangeMan and have a proper career. I must have taught her something right."

Connie looked back up at me and said, "I need you to train Jackie. I'm too busy to do that. You'll have to spend at least 4 hours today and tomorrow showing her the ropes and I expect that all these files lying about will be dealt with before the end of tomorrow."

Connie looked back to Jackie and said, "The hours are 9-6 Mondays through Friday and 9 - 1 on Saturday. You get an hour for lunch during that time and if we're low on filing, we'll find something else for you to work on."

Jackie looked at me and there were tears in her eyes. "I can't believe you've done this for me Lula. Where do we start?"

I laughed and said, "The filing thing is actually pretty easy. Everything is alphabetical and we just need to put these files into the correct drawer. Why don't you have a go? You can ask me or Connie anything if you have a question."

I watched Jackie look at the name on the file, and unlike me, she didn't nose around the files. She simply looked at the label and put them in the correct drawer, in the correct location. Connie was watching her with a keen eye as well. I know I wasn't the best file clerk and that Connie got quite frustrated with me, so I hoped Jackie would be one step up from me. From what I could tell, she would have the pile of files sorted out in no time.

I looked up when I heard the door open to see Steph standing there. She looked at me expectantly and I realised that we were supposed to go shopping. Steph greeted Connie and looked at Jackie without so much as a second glance. She asked "How's it going Connie. I see you've managed to replace Lula already."

Connie smile and said, "Yes, today is Jackie's first day. She'll take over for Lula on Monday officially. Today and tomorrow are her training days."

I watched Steph look at Jackie a little more closely and then she did a double-take. "Oh my god, Jackie, how they hell are you?"

She smiled at Steph and said, "I'm doing really good now Lula has arranged for me have this job and her apartment. I think the day that you walked into our lives was a good day. I can't thank you both enough."

Steph said, "I'm very happy for you Jackie. I look forward to seeing you more often now that you're going to be working here. Lula and I are bound to stop by every other day or so, more if necessary."

Jackie looked a bit confused so I explained. "Steph and I are going to be working for RangeMan, but they handle all the skips for Vinnie now. Steph and I will still be able to go after the non-violent ones as usual."

Jackie seemed to like the fact that we'd still get to see each other on a regular basis and went back to filing. I looked up at Steph and said, "Connie wants me to train Jackie on the filing system. Can we wait until after lunch to go shopping?"

Steph agreed and sat down on the sofa and chatted with Connie. It wasn't until this point that I realised that none of us had bothered bringing any donuts, and I wasn't missing them. I don't know if it was because I knew I'd have to go without them soon, but it didn't bother me.

Connie was busy filling in Steph on the latest Burg gossip while I watched Jackie organise the files. She had only been working for about 15 minutes and she had already cleared the top of the filing cabinets. The piles on the side table were twice as large and there were more files on Connie's desk, but if Jackie kept up at this speed, she'd be done before lunch.

I looked over at Connie who had noticed Jackie's progress as well. She looked up at me and nodded her approval and then said, "Jackie, why don't you take a short break. We tend to have a bit of a chit-chat first thing in the morning over coffee. Please join us and you can get back to the files a little later."

Jackie finished putting the file in her hand away and then moved around to the front of the desk to help herself to coffee. The four of us talked about nothing in particular for the next 1/2 hour until Vinnie came in. He looked at me and said, "You abandon us and give us 2 days notice. How are we supposed to replace you on that short of notice?"

I laughed and said, "Connie has already found my replacement. Jackie here will be a full-time file clerk so you don't have to worry about her running around chasing skips like I used to do. Also, she's got a mean right hook so you should watch yourself around her."

Vinnie paled at my last remark and ducked into his office and locked his door. The girls all looked at me and laughed. I looked at Jackie and said, "He's a weasel, but a wimp. If he lays a hand on you, hit him and he'll never do it again."

Jackie nodded and cringed at the thought of being touched by Vinnie. I could relate. He's a bit of a slime ball, but he was going to be paying her salary so she couldn't hurt him too bad. She would need to hurt him just enough to discourage him from touching her a second time.

After our little chat, Jackie got back to the files and Connie said, "I think Jackie has the hang of things. Why don't you guys head to the mall? If you can get your shopping done before 1, you can bring us back something nice for lunch."

Steph looked at me and nodded. I said, "If we're not done by 12, we'll take a break and bring you gals some lunch. I have a whole new wardrobe to buy so it might take some time."

Connie looked up and said, "Speaking of that, I wanted to say how much I like your hair Lula. If I'd known it was that cute, I'd have begged for you to get it out earlier."

Steph nodded in agreement and I was feeling a little better with my decision to go au natural today. Steph and I bid Connie and Jackie farewell and headed to my car. By now, Steph doesn't even try to take her POS car. She knows I need my Dolby.

* * *

What's next for these ladies?


	8. Chapter 8

Here's the real chapter 8.

Sorry for the mistake and thanks to nancd24 for pointing out my mistake. Thanks for reading and having a brain because I clearly didn't when I uploaded the same chapter twice. :)

* * *

_Ranger's POV_

Tonight is the night. It's the night when my Babe and I have our first official date and I am pulling out all of the stops. I know it wouldn't take much to outdo Morelli or her ex-husband, but I want her to feel special tonight. That is why I have spent the past two days making plans and ordering things.

I will pick my Babe up at 6:30 from her apartment tonight. I will hand her a bouquet of her favourite flowers and then I will whisk her away for an evening that will top all of her previous evenings. I found a small restaurant up in Kuser Mountain Park that is only open certain days of the year. They specialise in authentic Spanish cuisine and I have booked the whole restaurant for the night.

The owners were very happy to accommodate me especially when I explained the reason for the booking. I arranged for them to prepare us small amounts of everything on their menu. That way Babe can try everything and owners won't have to work to hard because they can do most of the work ahead of time.

I explained how I wanted the evening to be romantic and the woman I spoke to offered a horse and carriage ride as part of our evening. She suggested a 30 minute ride that overlooked the cities to the east. She assured me that the view was spectacular, even in the dark, so I readily agreed. We would eat dinner, take the carriage ride with hot chocolate and champagne, and then return to the restaurant for dessert.

If everything went as planned, it would be a wonderful night. I can't wait to see the look on my Babe's face when I pick her up. My thoughts are interrupted by a knock at the door. Tank sticks his head in the door to ask if we could go over the self-defence training schedule for the girls. I motioned for him to come in and he handed me a piece of paper.

Based on Tank's schedule, Babe and Lula would spend one hour a day on self-defence training. Each day they would work on something different so they wouldn't get bored or discouraged from some of the more complicated aspects. I could see that Mondays and Thursdays were dedicated to hand-to-hand attacks and evade tactics. This would include getting out of various holds and defending one's self when attacked by an assailant without a weapon.

Tuesday and Friday were days where they would learn hand-to-hand combat and Wednesdays were reserved for kick boxing. Tank figured the ladies would have far better luck with kicking as a self defence tactic and he was probably right.

Tank watched me read the document and asked, "Is there anything else you want included in the schedule?"

I shook my head and said, "Not for now. Maybe once they've mastered some of the basic skills of unarmed combat, we might consider getting them involved in a more martial arts lessons or something like that. We might have to increase their time in the gym to accommodate that though, so it would require a discussion with the ladies."

Talk looked like he was thinking and said, "What if we offer to cover their skips for the first month? Do you think they'll go for that?"

I shrugged and said, "I'm not sure. Maybe we can broach this topic after the first week. We have no idea how they will perform in the training sessions, so it may be worth evaluating them first."

Tank agreed with me and we moved on to other RangeMan topics. It turned out that Tank just got off the phone with the Atlanta office and they were having a problem with one of their clients. Tank said, "They really want you to go down there as soon as you can Ranger. How much convincing would it take for you to go down tonight and come back tomorrow?"

I growled and said, "There is nothing that could convince me to do that. I have very important plans this evening that I refuse to put off, even for an important client. I can go down early Friday morning or it can wait till next week."

"I take it you've got plans with Bomber tonight then eh?"

I glared at Tank and said, "Not that it's any of your business, but I do have plans with Stephanie."

Tank smiled and said, "Well, I can send Lester down tonight. He can hold the fort until you get there. He might even be able to charm the customer enough so that you don't need to go at all."

"That would be good because I promised Steph and Lula that we'd be available this weekend to help them move."

Tank looked at me for a moment and said, "If for any reason you can't make it, the guys and I will help out. I know you want to be here for Steph, but just know that we have your back regardless."

"Thanks man. It's not even lunch time yet, let's send Lester down to Atlanta on the company jet as soon as possible. Maybe he can tie things up this afternoon. If not, the jet can come back and I'll go down first thing in the morning with plans for both of us to return at some point Friday night."

Tank left my office for a moment and I called the airfield where we keep our jet. I arranged for it to be fuelled and ready to take off as soon as possible. Lester would be there shortly to head to Atlanta. Next, I called the Atlanta office to set up a meeting with the customer this afternoon. I told them that Lester is one of the part-owners of the company and he should be able to handle any problems with the customer.

Lester walked into my office after I got off the phone and said, "Tank tells me that you need me to go down to Atlanta to put out a fire. When do you need me there?"

I just called the airfield. The plane will be ready to go as soon as you can get there. The Atlanta office will set up a meeting with you and the customer and hopefully you can smooth things over. If for any reason you can't, send the jet back up to Trenton and then text me. I can come down first thing in the morning and meet with the customer before noon."

Lester looks at me and says, "Is there any reason why you're not going yourself tonight?"

"There is, but you need to go get packed so there's no time for me to explain."

Lester grinned and said, "Tank filled me in anyway Range Man, it's about time too. Have fun tonight and I'll do my best to keep you local."

I grinned as Lester walked out of my office. I knew I could count on him doing his best to assure this particular customer that everything could and would be handled for them. I think their biggest problem is that they are paying us a lot of money and they don't really see where that money goes and how we protect their company.

I had a few thoughts so I composed a quick email to Lester that suggested he give the customer a tour of the RangeMan facilities so they could see how their property is monitored after hours. It might also be a good idea to show them a mock-up of the patrol times and routes so they can be confident in knowing that their properties are protected. If something does happen, a patrol team are usually only moments away at all times.

After sending the email, I sent a text to Lester to make sure he reads the email. I knew he'd do a good job. He can be very charming when necessary. I sat back and relaxed, knowing that I didn't have to worry about work tonight. Tank and Bobby would be on call for emergencies and I will be offline.

That will ensure that I can fully enjoy my time alone with my Babe this evening. I want to give her my undivided attention because lord knows it will be hard at times to separate my work life from my personal life. That was one of the biggest reasons that I kept Stephanie at a distance for such a long time. I didn't think that she'd like me being so busy all the time, but we had to give it a shot. We owed it to ourselves. Besides, Stephanie has a life. She has friends and family and she'll be busy as well. I can't expect her to wait around until I have free time. We'll figure out what works for us and make the most of it.

* * *

More to come and as usual, let me know what you think.


	9. Chapter 9

_Lula's POV_

Steph and I parked at the mall and ended walking into a few shops I'd never visited before. They were for above average sized ladies and Stephanie was a little apprehensive about my reaction to the store. You should have seen the look on her face when I walked up to the first rack and pulled out a tunic style top and held it up to myself and asked, "What do you think of this Steph?"

Steph was speechless for all of about 30 seconds. Once she got over the shock of me looking at something that was not spandex, she said, "It's a little subdued. Are you sure you like it?"

I looked down at the top and put it back on the rack. I browsed through the rest of the tops and pulled out one that was a dark fuchsia pink. It wasn't fluorescent pink, but it was a nice raspberry colour and it looked great against my dark skin. I held the top up and looked in the mirror thinking I should try it on, if only I could find something to wear underneath.

I looked around for the sales lady and asked her opinion. She pointed me towards a rack with black tights. I didn't want to wear tights because they reminded me too much of spandex so I asked if they had any trousers or jeans. I was directed to the back of the shop where I found several other items that I liked a lot. I grabbed three different styles of jeans, two pairs of trousers, three tops, the tunic top and a jacket and headed into the dressing rooms.

Steph shouted, "Show me when you get stuff on. I'll even take a photo so you can come back later if you change your mind."

I promised to come out and I put on the first pair of jeans and the pink tunic top. I looked in the mirror and thought I looked OK. I walked out of the changing room and Steph smiled widely and said, "You look great Lula. That top is perfect. What's next?"

I went back in the changing room, swapped jeans for a different pair. These ones had a higher waist and they had a tummy tucking feature. I paired these jeans with a turquoise coloured sweater and went out to show Steph. Once again, Steph was positive. "Those jeans are amazing Lula. They're even better than the last ones. I think you should get a couple of that style."

I laughed and said, "There's a third style in the changing room. You might like them even more. I'll try them next and we can compare."

I went back in and came out moments later with the third pair of jeans and an emerald green loose and flowing blouse with a scarf around the neck.

"Green really suits you Lula, but I definitely preferred the 2nd pair of jeans."

I agreed and returned to put the 2nd pair of jeans back on and the last top I picked out. It was a bright peach coloured short-sleeved button up blouse that was tailored for well endowed women in the chest region. It fit quite well and I didn't feel like I would pop out at any minute.

I walked out of the changing room and showed the outfit to Stephanie. She was smiling and simply nodded. "That's perfect Lula. I think you should get a pair of these jeans in blue and black and all of the tops you tried on."

"Wait, I still have a few things to try on. Here, you hold on to these and I'll be right back." I handed her the things I was going to buy and returned to the changing room.

I showed Steph the black trousers and the black blazer. I agreed with her assessment that the trousers looked odd. The cut just didn't suit me but the blazer was another story. It looked great and I added it to the pile of things to buy.

We walked out of the first shop with enough clothes to start my new wardrobe. I would have bought more if I had the money, but since my new RangeMan job hasn't started, I decided to stick with two pairs of jeans, four tops and a blazer.

Next we went on the hunt for an outfit for Stephanie. She wouldn't tell me what it was for but she said she needed something that was classy but not formal as well as comfortable and sexy. We ended up in Macy's and after about 20 minutes, Stephanie found a top that ticked all the right boxes.

It was a very light aqua colour. The front of the top was jersey and had a cowl neck that didn't go too low. The back was satin in the same colour as the front and it had ruffled capped sleeves. The colour was spectacular on Stephanie and she probably already had a pair of jeans and shoes that would go perfectly with the top.

When Steph walked out of the changing room, she was beaming. I looked at her and said, "He's going to love it and you in it. Batman won't know what hit him."

She looked at me for a second before admitting that she was indeed going on a date with Ranger.

"I'm really happy for you Steph. You two will have a great time."

"Thanks Lula. Why don't I buy this and then we can make a quick stop on the way out and talk to Mr. Alexander. He's my hair stylist and I've run out of my curl taming solution that he recommended."

"Sure, do you think he'll give me some advice on my hair? I've been thinking about growing it out a little."

Steph nodded as we walked towards a cashier. "He's brilliant with hair. I'm sure he can give you loads of advice. He's probably pretty quiet today. It's Thursday morning and he'd probably love to gossip with us a bit."

Steph paid for her top and then we took our time and walked through the mall. Mr. Alexander was free so we stopped in and talked to him. True to her word, Mr. Alexander sat me down and started giving me all sorts of advice about my hair. He made me feel really good about myself by complimenting my bone structure and the texture of my hair. By the time Steph and I left there, I promised to come back in a 6 weeks to let Mr. Alexander cut and style my hair.

He gave me a small tub of goo to use in the meantime. He said that it would define the curls on my head and stop it from looking like a mini afro. I only needed to use a small amount and the whole tub should last until I come back for my appointment in 6 weeks. Steph made an appointment for the same day so we could make a day of it. I was really looking forward to letting my hair grow a little and then getting it cut properly by somebody who actually know what they were doing.

After Mr. Alexander's I looked at my watch to see that it was 11:30. I turned to Steph and said, "Was there anything else you needed?"

She shook her head so I said, "What do you think Connie and Jackie would like for lunch?"

Steph shrugged so I pulled out my phone and called Connie. "Hey Girl, Steph and I are finished shopping and we were going to grab some lunch on the way back to the office. Do you or Jackie have any requests?"

Connie covered the phone and I heard muffled talking before Connie came back on the line and said, "Jackie is requesting some sort of sandwich. Roast beef on rye with horseradish or something similar. If you go to Giovichinni's now, you can beat the lunch rush. I'll have a Rueben."

"That sounds like a good idea. We haven't had sandwiches from there in ages."

Steph looked at me and once I hung up the phone I said, "The decision was Giovichinni's Deli for sandwiches."

Steph nodded and off we went. We ordered for the girls in the office and then Steph and I both got a roast turkey on wheat. All four sandwiches came with a giant pickle, so that could count as our vegetable portion of the meal.

We ate our lunch and I modelled my new outfits for Connie and Jackie. They were both really pleased and said that I looked great. I don't know why I resisted normal clothes until now, but when Connie asked if I was going to buy a whole new wardrobe with my first RangeMan paycheque, Steph said, "I'd hold off on that if I were you Lula. We're going to be doing loads of exercise and it would be a shame to spend all that money now if you lose a little weight. You'd then have to go back and buy a bunch more."

I had never thought of that before so I said, "Do you really think I could lose that much weight?"

Steph smiled and said, "The last time I worked with Ranger, I had to run 5 miles a day for three weeks. During that time, I ate like crazy and still lost 7 pounds. We're going to be running like that and we'll be on a diet. I am willing to bet that you'll lose loads of weight. If you stick with your current new wardrobe for a couple of months, you'll probably have to replace it then. You might as well just let Ella wash your clothes regularly.

"Besides, you'll be in a RangeMan uniform for most of your time. Those clothes you bought today can be reserved for evening wear. You can wear them for a date or a girl's night out."

"That it true, I'm glad you pointed that out because I might have gone a little crazy. Thanks Steph." I leaned over and gave her a one armed hug. When she was close, I whispered, "Have a great time tonight Steph. I expect to hear all about it tomorrow night."

She smiled at me and nodded and headed home. We had no skips to pick up so I decided to stick around and make sure that Jackie was settling in OK. Based on the cleanliness of the office, she'd do just fine.

* * *

Are you still reading? Do you want more?


	10. Chapter 10

_Ranger's POV_

I've been dressed and ready for almost an hour. I left my office at 5 and made my way upstairs. I told all the guys that I was offline tonight. All emergency calls went to Tank and if it was absolutely necessary, he'd call me. He was under instructions not to call me unless somebody was critically injured or there was an emergency with mine or Steph's family.

Tank assured me that he'd take care of everything and after I filled him in on the evening plans, he insisted that I take a satellite phone. Cell coverage in the park is a little sketchy. I reluctantly agreed, but only after making Tank promise to call only if absolutely necessary.

I also explained that I wanted a full report from Lester via email so I could decide whether or not to head down to Atlanta in the morning. Tank promised to contact Lester and if Ranger was indeed needed in Atlanta, Lester would send the plane back so it was fuelled and ready to head back south at 0600.

Tank shook my hand when I left his office and he said, "Good luck tonight Ranger. This date between you and Bomber has been a long time coming. Enjoy yourselves and I'll talk to you later. Call me if you need to talk about Atlanta when you get back."

"Thanks man. I'll talk to you later. Now, I have a date to get ready for. I feel like a kid again. I'm nervous and really conscious about my appearance."

"You'll do fine. Go on, get outta here." Tank punched me on the shoulder as I walked out of his office and headed to the stairs.

I'm now standing in front of my mirror staring at myself. I decided to wear a pair of grey thin wool trousers and a cream coloured sweater. It will be a little cooler up on the mountain so I also put a leather jacket over the sweater. It is late spring so the evenings are still cool, but I'm hoping it's not too cold for the carriage ride. Maybe I should take a couple of blankets and leave them in the back of the car just in case.

I rummaged through the closet outside the bathroom and found two blankets. I would put them in the back of the limo and collect them for the carriage ride if it felt a little cold. I fiddled with my hair and decided to put a bit of gel in it and make it a bit spiky. I had it short again because my long hair was too memorable during my last mission. I had to cut it off, and to be honest, it's a lot easier to manage this way. I also think Babe likes it this way better.

The limo was going to be outside in about 15 minutes. I gathered the blankets, a chilled bottle of champagne, my jacket, and the satellite phone and placed it all by the door. I spent the next 15 minutes pacing back and forth in a nervous panic.

What if Babe hated Spanish food? What if she detested horses? If only I could remember what she said when her niece thought she was a horse. Did she say that was a good thing or a bad thing? Normally I remember stuff like that, but this time I'm at a loss. I am a complete and total nervous wreck.

The phone rang and when I answered it, I was relieved to find out that the limo was downstairs waiting. I told Hal that I'd be right down and I gathered all my things. The driver helped me put the blankets in the boot and then we were off to Babe's building. Instead of pulling into the parking lot, I had the driver pull up in front of the building. He would wait for us on the street.

I walked up the stairs and knocked on Steph's door. Normally I would just break in, but tonight was different. I wanted her to open the door so we could see each other at the same time. I also wanted to see her expression as I gave her the flowers I got for her. I waited for Babe to open the door and when she did, she looked me up and down and smiled.

"Looking good Batman."

I smiled at her and said, "You look beautiful yourself Babe."

I handed her a huge bouquet of mixed flowers in different shades of purples. The flowers included lilies, calla lilies, daisies, roses, dahlias, peonies, pansies and several other flowers that I didn't know the name of. She looked down at the flowers and said, "These are beautiful Ranger. You didn't have to do that. Please come in and I'll find something to put them in."

"I know I didn't have to Babe, but I wanted to. You deserve flowers and so much more."

I watched as my Babe pulled a glass pitcher from the cupboard and filled it 1/3 of the way with water. She plunked the flowers in the pitcher, took a deep smell and then smiled up at me before saying, "I will appreciate these more later. Let's get out of here Batman."

I smiled and said, "You might want to take a warm jacket. I don't know what the weather will be like in a couple of hours. It might get a little cool and I don't want you to be cold."

Babe nodded and grabbed her leather bomber jacket from the peg inside her door. I took her hand and I walked out into the hall, waiting for her to lock up behind us. Steph walked toward the back door but I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the front of the building. She looked at me funny but followed me without question.

When she saw the limo, her eyes light up and her smile took my breath away. I couldn't help but lean down and kiss her at that point. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer to her. We kissed for a few minutes and then I pulled back and whispered, "If we stay here and kiss all night, you'll miss out on the wonderful evening I have planned for you."

Babe smiled and said, "Well, let's get this show on the road then. Where are we going?"

I helped Babe into the back seat of the limo and pulled her close beside me. I handed her two champagne flutes and then opened the bottle of champagne. It was a really expensive bottle, but I didn't care. My Babe deserved the best and I could afford it.

We both held up our glasses and I said, "To us, Babe. Let this be the beginning of what we have dreamed about for years."

Steph nodded and we both took a sip after delicately touching glasses. We sat back and my Babe snuggled up beside me. We sat in silence for a little while before I started telling a story about when I was a kid. I don't think Babe expected me to open up like this, but she was listening very closely. When I was finished, she looked up into my eyes and said, "It's good to know that you actually had a childhood. Lula keeps joking that you emerged from your mother's womb fully grown."

This caused me to laugh quite hard. I was thinking how much fun Lula was going to be around the office. I smiled down at my Babe and said, "Are you sure Lula thinks I even have a mother? Wouldn't it be more appropriate for me to have hatched fully grown?"

Babe laughed and said, "I'm sure that thought crossed Lula's mind at one point, but since Tank knew you growing up, she assumed you must have had a family."

"I do have a family and I can't wait for you to meet them Babe. They'll love you just as much as I do."

I saw the doubt pass over Babe's face when I mentioned my family so I figured I would need to explain my family to her before introducing them. Babe would undoubtedly be nervous to meet them but if she went in with a bit of knowledge, she'd feel a little better. I started with my parents.

"My father's name is Ricardo and my mother is Maria. My father was an accountant and he owned his own financial company in Newark. He decided to retire a few years ago and sold it just before the market fell. He was extremely lucky and now my parents can retire in comfort. They still live in Newark but they go down to Miami a lot.

"My brother Alex, who is the oldest of 6 kids, lives in Miami. He is almost 7 years older than me and he is married to Lisa. They have a son and a daughter who are both teenagers now. The next oldest is Celia. She's 5 years older than me and she is a surgeon in Miami. She and her husband are in the middle of a painful divorce and their three young kids are right in the middle of it.

"Next is Paula. She's 2 years older than me and she's a research scientist working for some pharmaceutical company or another. It's a competitive field so she works contracts rather than a single company. She makes better money that way and she finds it less stressful because she's out of the politics of it all. She lives out in California and is a single mother. Her husband died of a brain aneurism a few years ago and she's only recently started dating again. She has one boy who is 6 years old.

"I'm next in line and you already know about Rachel and Julie. Then there is Evelyn. She is 6 years younger than me and she is in her 2nd last year at Harvard Law School. She wants to practice family law when she passes the bar.

"The baby of the family is Isabella. She's 7 and a half years younger than me and she lives in New York. She works for a fancy fashion magazine and Mama is really proud of her. They often spend the day in New York's spas and restaurants so Isa can write a review or something. She's actually quite famous in those circles."

I looked at Babe and saw a look of wonder on her face. I know I have a big and diverse family, but they're just people. I reassured her that she would fit in and that because they were spread all over the country, it wasn't like she'd have to meet them all at once.

The limo started to slow and I could tell that we were almost at our destination. I looked at my Babe, watching her reaction as we pulled to a stop in front of the restaurant. She looked a little apprehensive because from the outside, the place looked closed. I saw the realisation that I wouldn't lead her to a restaurant if it was closed spread across her face and helped her out of the car.

* * *

The big date continues...


	11. Chapter 11

I decided to break the date down into two separate chapters from Ranger's point-of-view. Enjoy.

* * *

_Ranger's POV_

I opened the door for my Babe and couldn't believe the transformation inside. The owners when to a lot of trouble to convert their rustic environment into one that was warm, cosy and very romantic. Mrs. Hernandez welcomed us and we exchanged greetings in Spanish. When she saw the confusion on my Babe's face, she switched to English and welcomed us again.

Babe was looking around and said, "This is wonderful Ranger. How did you arrange all this?"

I smiled and said, "Well, I was motivated. I wanted to give you a first date that was worthy of how I feel about you. I have known about this restaurant for a long time but I've never been here. When I called to enquire about booking us a table, Mrs. Hernandez was very accommodating and offered to open up tonight just for us.

"I didn't expect her to go to all this trouble with the lighting and decorations, but I'm glad she did. It looks amazing and the light makes you look even more beautiful than usual."

I leaned in and kissed my Babe gently on the lips and helped her sit down at our table and then took my seat. She smiled up at me and I felt compelled to reach out and take her hand in mine and tell her again how much I loved her.

We talked quietly for a few minutes and then Mrs. Hernandez emerged from the kitchen with a huge trolley of food. She first pulled out a bottle of red wine and offered it to me for a taste. It was delicious so she proceeded in pouring a glass for both me and my Babe.

Once the wine was poured, she spent the next few minutes explaining the various items she placed on the table. She looked at my Babe and said, "After speaking to Mr. Manoso about your love of food, I decided to prepare a little taster menu. I have made a little of everything so you can try as much as you like. If there is any left over at the end of the meal, we will wrap it up so you can take it home with you."

Babe liked this idea and thanked Mrs. Hernandez. Once we were alone again, Babe tried a few things from the various dishes and based on her facial expressions and the noises coming from her mouth, she was enjoying the food. I smiled as I watched her eat, my food already forgotten.

We ate and talked for the next hour. When Babe finally admitted that she'd had enough, Mrs. Hernandez asked if she would like to take the leftovers. Babe agreed enthusiastically so Mrs. Hernandez loaded the dishes onto her trolley and headed back into the kitchen. Before she left, she said "Dessert will be served in 45 minutes. Enjoy your ride."

I smiled as the look of confusion on my Babe's face. "It's a surprise Babe. Follow me."

I took her hand and led her out to the front of the restaurant. Her eyes light up when she saw the horse and carriage. I took the blankets from the limo driver and then helped Steph into the carriage. We sat down side by side and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close.

Mr. Hernandez looked back at us and once he confirmed that we were ready to go, he spoke to the horses and off we went. The view down the mountain was spectacular and despite the chill in the air, we were quite warm. My Babe was beaming and I was smiling as we took in the sights.

We returned to the restaurant and were surprised that our 30 minutes were already over. I thanked Mr. Hernandez and my Babe kissed him on the cheek causing him to blush. It was quite cute really. It was clear that my Babe had done it again. She won over this couple with her kindness and general attitude to life.

We went back inside and were once again greeted by Mrs. Hernandez. She prepared every one of their desserts and presented my Babe with so many choices that Babe didn't know where to start. Mrs. Hernandez said, "I will wrap up anything you can't eat tonight. I was told by Mr. Manoso that dessert if your favourite part of the meal so I wanted to give you the opportunity to try my whole range."

My Babe thanked Mrs. Hernandez and praised the desserts. Mrs. Hernandez even turned a bit red when she watched my Babe taste her chocolate torte. My Babe moaned and quickly took a second bite that she savoured in her mouth for a few moments before chewing and swallowing. I think Hrs. Hernandez was really happy with Babe's reaction to her cooking. She left us wearing a huge grin and returned a little while later with a huge bag filled to the brim with food and dessert.

My Babe took one look at the bag and a grin broke across her face that turned me hard in an instant. I shifted in my seat to try and make my situation a little more comfortable while my Babe and Mrs. Hernandez talked about Steph's favourite parts of the meal. When they were finished talking, Babe looked at me and said, "Are you ready to head back to reality?"

I nodded, took her hand and led her and the huge bag out to the limo. We seated ourselves comfortably and we were on our way back to Trenton. We sat in silence for a few minutes, holding on to one another. My Babe leaned back so she could look up at me and said, "Thank you Ranger, I had a wonderful evening. Nobody has ever gone to so much trouble for me before."

I smiled and replied, "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I'm also glad that I stand above the rest."

My Babe giggled and sent icy shivers down my back, forcing me to shuffle on the seat to relieve some of the pressure against my zipper. She said, "You could by sitting on a very low char and still stand far above the rest. I love you Ranger."

I pulled my Babe towards me and kissed her. I told her that I loved her in between kisses and groaned when I heard the satellite phone ring. I pulled back from my Babe, who had a concerned look on her face. She knew that nobody would dare interrupt our evening unless it was very important. I pulled the satellite phone out of my jacket inner pocket and answered.

It was Tank. "Boss man, we just got work from the Atlanta office that Lester never showed up today. The pilot confirmed that he was collected at the airport by a black SUV, but RangeMan Atlanta says that the plane was gone when they arrived. It appears that somebody has kidnapped Lester."

"Was he fully dressed?" This didn't just mean guns and knives. It also meant panic button and trackers.

"Yes, but we can't locate him. His kidnappers must have found them and destroyed all of his toys moments after he was picked up from the airport. The last place they transmitted was just outside the airport."

"Why am I just hearing about this now?"

Tank hesitated for a minute and finally said, "Atlanta didn't notify us until two hours ago. We didn't want to contact you until we had a chance to go over everything. Atlanta tried to handle it on their own, hoping they could find him before it needed to be brought to our attention."

I looked over at my Babe and said, "We'll be back in Trenton in about 30 minutes. I want a search started on this particular customer and I'll want a meeting with the team as soon as I get there. In the meantime, call me if you hear anything. Also, get the plane back up here. I think we'll need to head down to Atlanta."

Tank confirmed that he understood my orders and hung up. I looked down at my Babe and smiled. "I'm really sorry Babe, but I am going to have to end this perfect evening. Lester seems to have gotten himself kidnapped and I need to get back and help with the search."

I saw my Babe's face fall with concern for Lester. She asked, "What can I do to help?"

I smiled widely at her and said, "There's little to do right now, but maybe you can review the search results when we get back. You always have a knack for seeing things that others don't."

She nodded and we spent the rest of the ride back to Trenton in silence. I had my arms wrapped around my Babe and she was resting on my shoulder. We were both lost in our own thoughts, but we were both clearly worried about Lester.

When we got to the town limits, I looked down at my Babe and said, "I'll probably have to go out of town for a few days. I'm really sorry Babe, but we might need to postpone our 2nd date for now."

Babe nodded, but she didn't look sad, she looked determined. She said, "It's Lester. I would never forgive myself if something happened to him while I was off enjoying myself. I want to help in any way I can, even if it's just fetching coffee or answering phones. Let's go find Lester."

* * *

This is the end of this particular story, but come back for the next episode in the RangeWoman Series.

The more reviews, the faster I'll type. :)


End file.
